Lamps And Chairs

Whenever I look at design magazines these days I keep seeing the same four pieces. And it always starts off the same way. I am drawn in by the uniqueness of the concept home or the quirky modern furnishings and then… Bam! There’s one of those light bulb embedded in a huge ice cube lamps! Wham-Bam! It’s one of those silk screened wild animal pillows!

Don’t get me wrong, I love these items and would own them if I had a sprawling polished concrete floored loft in the Financial District but I do not. However, my quarrel is that the homes in these magazines are sometimes awesome, why dumb them down with these tired pieces? Are there not enough artists and designers in the word to produce a greater variety of lamps and chairs?

This is the paradox of originality and conformity. In my youth I was quite the gothic princess. Black nails, black eyeliner, black lace, black combat boots. I looked just like every other gothic princess on South Street in Philly, and yet I was scorned for being so different. And of course I liked the idea of being different but when I embraced it I was written off as a goth clone. What was a little demon child to do? I dressed the way I did because I liked it. I wasn’t trying to fit in or be different.

So back to the light bulb embedded in a huge ice cube lamp thingy. I am sick of seeing them but I do really like them. I bet someone just paid to have it shown in the spread of photos. But I do like the way the light is bright but muted coming through the ice cube-like part. Maybe I’ll… No! I won’t be fooled.